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Cultural Molding, Shielding, and Shoring at Oilco: The Role of Culture in the Integration of Routines

Author

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  • Stephanie Bertels

    (Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC V6C 1W6, Canada)

  • Jennifer Howard-Grenville

    (Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1AG, United Kingdom)

  • Simon Pek

    (Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC V6C 1W6, Canada)

Abstract

We explore how organizational culture shapes an organization’s integration and enactment of an external routine that is not a cultural fit. Attending to employees’ use of culture as a repertoire of strategies of action, we found that the use of familiar cultural strategies of action shaped the routine’s artifacts and expectations even before it was performed, a process we call cultural molding . Subsequently, employees drew differently on cultural strategies of action as they performed the routine, generating patterns of workarounds or hindered performances. In response to these patterns, they undertook additional cultural work to either shield their workarounds and protect them from scrutiny or shore up hindered performances. We contribute to the routine dynamics literature by highlighting the effortful cultural work involved in integrating coveted routines, furthering our understanding of routines as truces and the embeddedness of routines.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephanie Bertels & Jennifer Howard-Grenville & Simon Pek, 2016. "Cultural Molding, Shielding, and Shoring at Oilco: The Role of Culture in the Integration of Routines," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(3), pages 573-593, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:27:y:2016:i:3:p:573-593
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2016.1052
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Dehua Gao & Flaminio Squazzoni & Xiuquan Deng, 2018. "The role of cognitive artifacts in organizational routine dynamics: an agent-based model," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 473-499, December.
    4. Aura Parmentier-Cajaiba & Nathalie Lazaric & Giovany Cajaiba-Santana, 2021. "The effortful process of routines emergence: the interplay of entrepreneurial actions and artefacts," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 33-63, January.
    5. Mele, Cristina & Tuominen, Tiina & Edvardsson, Bo & Reynoso, Javier, 2023. "Smart sensing technology and self-adjustment in service systems through value co-creation routine dynamics," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    6. Kandora Marcin, 2017. "In search for effective methods of routine formation," Management, Sciendo, vol. 21(1), pages 20-39, May.
    7. Nathalie Lazaric, 2021. "Cognition and Routine Dynamics," Post-Print halshs-03402421, HAL.
    8. Dehua Gao & Flaminio Squazzoni & Xiuquan Deng, 2018. "The Intertwining Impact of Intraorganizational and Routine Networks on Routine Replication Dynamics: An Agent-Based Model," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2018, pages 1-23, November.
    9. Martha S. Feldman & Brian T. Pentland & Luciana D’Adderio & Nathalie Lazaric, 2016. "Beyond Routines as Things: Introduction to the Special Issue on Routine Dynamics," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(3), pages 505-513, June.
    10. Kandora Marcin, 2018. "Managing Reverse Knowledge Flows in Routine Replication Programs: The Case of Global Manufacturing ERP Template Rollout," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 26(2), pages 47-75, June.
    11. Ursula Schinzel, 2020. "“I am a Responsible Leader†Responsible Corporate Social Responsibility: The Example of Luxembourg," Business Perspectives and Research, , vol. 8(1), pages 21-35, January.
    12. Omid Omidvar & Mehdi Safavi & Vern L. Glaser, 2023. "Algorithmic Routines and Dynamic Inertia: How Organizations Avoid Adapting to Changes in the Environment," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(2), pages 313-345, March.
    13. Dan V. Caprar & Sunghoon Kim & Benjamin W. Walker & Paula Caligiuri, 2022. "Beyond “Doing as the Romans Do”: A review of research on countercultural business practices," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(7), pages 1449-1483, September.
    14. Dilek Cetindamar & Mile Katic & Steve Burdon & Ayse Gunsel, 2021. "The Interplay among Organisational Learning Culture, Agility, Growth, and Big Data Capabilities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-20, November.
    15. Robert Charles Sheldon & Eric Michael Laviolette & Fabien Geuser, 2020. "Explaining the process and effects of new routine introduction with a notion of micro-level entrepreneurship," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 609-642, July.
    16. Leandro S. Pongeluppe, 2022. "The favela effect: Spatial inequalities and firm strategies in disadvantaged urban communities," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(13), pages 2777-2808, December.

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